HTO Park
Encyclopedia
HTO is an urban beach
in Toronto
, Canada
, that opened in 2007. It west of Harbourfront Centre, on Lake Ontario
.
's Inner Harbour.
The park consists of two sections:
The two quays are concrete man made infill from the early 20th Century. The eastern portion was home to Maple Leaf Mills Silos
until 1983. The western half was home to a smaller industrial business with a small office structure and tanks During the 1980s, a condo project was built on part of Maple Leaf Quay while the rest stood empty as a parking lot. The eastern portion lay empty in the 1980s and 1990s.
This park incorporates elements of a park, beach, and golf course. The park's standout feature is a sandpit that holds Muskoka chairs
and enormous fixed yellow metal umbrellas. The umbrellas were designed to evoke the Georges Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
At night, the park knolls are illuminated by LED lights.
HTO Park East is also home the Toronto Fire Services
Station (Marine Unit) 334, Toronto EMS
Station 36.
Urban beach
An urban beach, or urbeach,is defined as a space that includes an intellectually, artistically, or culturally sophisticated water feature that is also an aquatic play area, and is located within a culturally or artistically significant area of a city...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, that opened in 2007. It west of Harbourfront Centre, on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
History
The park is built on quays that was once used by ships berthing in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Inner Harbour.
The park consists of two sections:
- HT0 Park West is built on the eastern half of Maple Leaf Quay
- HTO Park East is built on the old Peter Street Slip
The two quays are concrete man made infill from the early 20th Century. The eastern portion was home to Maple Leaf Mills Silos
Maple Leaf Mills Silos
Maple Leaf Mills Silos was one of two silo complexes that built the area between Spadina Quay and Maple Leaf Quay, on Toronto Harbour. It was also one of three silos that was found along Toronto's waterfront. The silos marked an age when goods were being shipped into Toronto...
until 1983. The western half was home to a smaller industrial business with a small office structure and tanks During the 1980s, a condo project was built on part of Maple Leaf Quay while the rest stood empty as a parking lot. The eastern portion lay empty in the 1980s and 1990s.
Urban Park Emerges
The park was designed by Janet Rosenberg + Associates Landscape Architects, Claude Cormier Architectes Paysagistes Inc. and Hariri Pontarini Architects.This park incorporates elements of a park, beach, and golf course. The park's standout feature is a sandpit that holds Muskoka chairs
Adirondack chair
An Adirondack chair or Muskoka chair is a type of chair favored in rural, outdoor settings. The precursor to today's Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and needed outdoor chairs for his summer...
and enormous fixed yellow metal umbrellas. The umbrellas were designed to evoke the Georges Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
At night, the park knolls are illuminated by LED lights.
HTO Park East is also home the Toronto Fire Services
Toronto Fire Services
The Toronto Fire Services is part of the Emergency Services that respond to 911 calls in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The Toronto Fire Services is responsible for responding to fires, rescue and assisting with medical situations within the City of Toronto...
Station (Marine Unit) 334, Toronto EMS
Toronto EMS
Toronto Emergency Medical Services is the statutory Emergency medical services provider for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The service is operated directly as a branch of the municipal government as an independent, third-service option provider, which means that the service is funded by...
Station 36.
Criticism
The park is very close to the Gardiner Expressway, which is audible to park visitors. While the park was conceived as an "urban beach", swimming is not allowed due to the fact that this central area of the inner harbor sees a lot of ship traffic and is generally not conducive to a swimming area.See also
- List of Toronto parks
- Other beaches and waterfront parks:
- Cherry BeachCherry BeachCherry Beach is a lakeside park located at the foot of Cherry Street just south of Unwin Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is on Toronto's outer harbour just east of the Eastern Gap....
- Sugar BeachSugar BeachSugar Beach is an urban beach park in Toronto, Canada, that opened in 2010. It is located across from Redpath Sugar Refinery in Toronto's eastern East Bayfront. Like HTO Park, the beach has no direct access to the Lake Ontario and is a landlocked beach....
- The BeachesThe BeachesThe Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
- Cherry Beach